Governmentally imposed regulations force higher efficiency standards on all commercial electro-mechanical devices in an attempt to reduce the ever increasing electrical needs of our society. Air handling systems, being one of the larger electrical energy users in commercial buildings, have recently come under stringent future regulations. Current regulations to be met by the year 2010 will force a large increase in efficiency.
Existing coils and air filters have a rectangular axial cross section and reside normally in their enclosures (air handling units). Their three dimension configuration is that of a cuboid or, stated otherwise, a right prism having only rectangular faces. Any increase in efficiency is achieved by using multiples of these units or by staggering configurations of smaller filters and coils. Overall efficiency improvements are becoming increasingly difficult.
This invention utilizes a slant design of these components that allows a more efficient heat transfer and particle entrapment than their conventional counterparts. By residing at an angle in their air handling enclosures, and by virtue of their oblique prismatic construction, more tubes can be used, more plate thermal conductive surface area can incorporated onto the coil, a larger coil face area can be realized, and more filter media can be used in the filter. When residing in the air handling unit at angles of 45 degrees, there is approximately a 41% increase in coil heat transfer area and particulate entrapment area. More importantly, the face velocity and resultant air friction of the passing air decreases significantly, thereby reducing the amount of work the prime mover has to do.
This slant design requires more linear space than single, normally situated conventional elements do, but offers considerably less restriction to air flow than do multiple normally situated conventional elements. Thus, a significant increase in efficiency can be realized with a minimum increase in spacial utilization and a significant reduction in air restriction.
Such conditioning air apparatus innovations as the present invention provides, overcome the pitfalls of the prior art and are a cost effective, simple solution that enable a considerable jump in efficiency while allowing a spatially effective air handling unit design.